1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to roll core holders, and more particularly to a disposable handle adapted for insertion into an open end of a film dispensing roll.
2. Description of Related Arts
A roll core is made of compressed paper stock or plastic. It is used to wind up plastic, metal and paper sheets into rolls. These sheet materials are subsequently dispensed from the rolls. Rolls of this sort may be supported on a core chuck or similar equipment whereby the roll goods are pulled from the roll core by revolving the core on the core chuck. This may be a mechanized or manual operation. In some cases the roll goods is dispensed by simply holding the roll core and pulling the sheet roll goods from the roll core. This is difficult and can cause burns as the roll slips in the hands of one holding the core.
The following cited references teach that a manually held support can be used with a core for the dispensing step that defines the present state of this field:
Parry, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,081, describes an improved apparatus for the manual application of plastic stretch films to materials and items to be packaged and secured as a unit or packaged and secured to a shipping and transporting means. The apparatus consists of an extended core for the supply of plastic stretch film and a pair of tubular-like grip means for said extended core. Said grip means serving as a manual control means for the speed of paying out the plastic stretch film material, and as a manual means for applying for applying tension on the film during the course of applying it to materials lo and items.
Parry, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,392, describes an improved apparatus for the application of plastic stretch film to materials and items to be packaged and secured as a unit or packaged and secured to a shipping and transporting means. The apparatus consists of a pair of insertable adapters for the ends of a cylindrical core which holds a supply of plastic stretch films and a pair of tubular-like grip means for said insertable adapters. The grip means serves as a control means for the speed of paying out the plastic stretch film material, and as a means for applying tension on the film during the course of applying it to materials and items. The apparatus may be used for manual or machine application of film to materials. Brake shoe equivalents of the grip means may be used for machine applications.
Parry et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,493, describe a holder for dispensing stretch film from a roll comprising a cylindrical body and an arbor rotatably supported on the body. A flexible grip having internal ribs covers the body and the arbor, so that one can, by applying finger pressure to the grip, brake rotation of the arbor and thus control film tension.
Hummel et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,163, teach apparatus for controlled manual unrolling of rolled flexible material, which is not suitable for the user to rotatably hand-support directly by his or her fingers.
Saraisky, U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,500, teaches inserts for use with web dispensing means, which contains the following drawbacks.
(a) The insert must have a diameter fittingly for rotatably inserting into the respective end opening of the roll core. The inserts have no way to mount at two ends of the roll core even when the inner diameter of the end opening of the roll core is just slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the inserts.
(b) If the inserts are made in tapered shaped, as shown in FIG. 6 of the cited art, so that they are able to stack one inside the other and may fit to insert roll cores with various inner diameters, the insert would be stuck in the end opening of the roll core, when the user pushes too hard inwardly while supporting the web roll, that would block the rotation of the web roll with respect to the inserts. At this moment, the heavy web roll as well as the inserts would rotate with respect to the supporting hands of the user that may hurt and burn the user""s fingers.
(c) Theoretically speaking, the user may hand-support the inserts by inserting the user""s fingers into the two hollow cavities of the two inserts respectively. However, since the three undulations 14b-1 to 14b-3, which are spacedly and longitudinally positioned around the inserts, are just slightly projected outwards, the wall of the insert is unavoidably in contact with the interior surface of the roll core, as shown in FIG. 5 of the cited art, especially when the user""s fingers pressing against the wall of the insert outwardly that may burn the user""s fingers due to the frictional heat generated between insert and the roll core.
In view of above, the prior art teaches the use of roll core holders but do not teach a relatively flimsy cylindrical handle held within a roll core at either end by compressive elastic material bias. Moreover, when the roll core holders are used as handles, the roll is directly supported by the user""s fingers which are inserted into the holders, none of the conventional arts suggest how to prevent the user""s holding fingers from burning heat due to the direct frictional contact of the circular wall of the holder and the inner surface of the roll core. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable handle for roll cores that provides advantages not taught by the prior art described above.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a very low manufacturing cost roll core handle which is effective and may be discarded after use.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable roll core handle which is capable of being produced at low cost.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable roll core handle which is capable of compressing into a roll core and this providing support while the roll core is rotated.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable roll core handle which is capable of being formed from a flat strip and rolled into a cylinder for use as a handle for the user to support the film roll directly by his or her hands.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a pair of disposable handles for roll cores, which provide a smoother rotation of the roll core with respect to the handles with less friction and heat generated therebetween.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable handle for roll cores, which is constructed to avoid heat transferred to the user""s hand and fingers directly by providing an inner finger-holder portion, which has substantial contact with the inner surface of the roll core, for the user""s fingers to support thereon.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable handle for roll cores, which holder body is equipped with a spring effect to absorb pressure and vibration formed during the rotation of the film roll so as to avoid unwanted injury to the finger joints of the user""s hands that support the roll core through a pair of the disposable handles.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable handle for roll cores, which can be fitted to roll cores with various inner diameters, for example from 2.989 inches to 3.060 inches.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable handle for roll cores, which can prevent the flange of the handle from rubbing or scratching against the respective end side of the film roll that may block the rotation of the film roll.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable handle for roll cores, which incorporates reinforcing arrangement both in the flange and the holder body that minimizes the thickness of the handle so as to lower the manufacturing cost as much as possible.
In order to accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides a pair of low cost handles with every roll of goods that is shipped without driving up the cost of the commercial product.
The present invention provides a single or pair of disposable handles. For a short length roll core, a single handle may be used. For longer roll cores, a pair of the handles is necessary. Each of the handles comprises a holder body having a circular side wall, which has a plurality of side wall arcuate segments spacedly and longitudinally arranged around the holder body and a plurality of stiffening ribs each longitudinally and inwardly extended between two of the arcuate segments. The holder body is adapted for compressive constraint when inserted into an end of the roll core so as to provide an outward spring bias deflection for gripping the roll core interiorly. The two handles, then, are placed in two ends of the roll core respectively. The arcuate segments may be axially oriented or circumferentially oriented. The stiffening ribs provided on the holder body of the handle in a spaced-apart and axially-directed manner are used to apply finger pressure to prevent the handles from revolving with the roll core. The roll core is supported by the one or two handles which allow the film to be dispensed from the film roll as the film roll rotates about the stationary handle(s).
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of embodiments, the principles of the invention.